Into the Wild

Erämaan armoille / Ute i vildmarken. US (c) 2007 River Road Entertainment / Paramount Vantage. P: Art Linson, Sean Penn. D+SC: Sean Penn - based on the book by Jon Krakauer (1996). DP: Eric Gautier. LOC: Alaska, Arizona, Canada, Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, South Dakota. Starring Emile Hirsch (Chris McCandless), Marcia Gay Harden (Billie McCandless), William Hurt (Walt McCandless), Jena Malone (Carine McCandless / additional narrator), Brian H. Dierker (Rainey), Catherine Keener (Jan Burres), Vince Vaughn (Wayne Westerberg), Kristen Stewart (Tracy Tatro), Hal Holbrook (Ron Franz). 148 min. Released in Finland by Finnkino (Paramount) with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Saliven Gustavson. Viewed at Kinopalatsi 7, Helsinki, 5 April 2008. - A digital intermediate look, the sublime of the nature lost. - Sean Penn's best film. A masterpiece. - Fine handling of different time dimensions. There is a different imagery to each episode in Chris's quest. - It is a coming-of-age story, the young man's journey to find the world and oneself, also a modern commentary on Thoreau. He's a wanderer, a train tramp, a drifter, a hobo, a farmer, a hunter, a hitch-hiker. Getting rid of money he sees the world of plenty with the eyes of the have-not. In the end he is at the mercy of nature in Canada. Qf. The Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog). "Happiness is real only when shared". - Growing apart from his childhood family he meets (more) affectionate quasi-families, and even a potential girlfriend.

The Game

100673 / 12 / US / 1997 / Fincher, David / / thriller
Game, The / - oletko valmis peliin? © PolyGram. D: David Fincher. SC: John Brancato, Michael Ferris. DP: Harris Savides. CAST: Michael Douglas (Nicholas Van Orton), Sean Penn (Conrad Van Orton), Deborah Kara Unger (Christine). 128’. Scope. MPAA 35106. R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles: Hannele Vahtera. DIST: Buena Vista International Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 30 March 1998. *** Extremely well-produced thriller which, however gets too tricky. All involvement is lost.

U Turn

100478 / 16 / US / 1997 / Stone, Oliver / / thriller

U Turn / U-käännös helvettiin. PC: Phoenix Pictures. A TriStar Pictures release. D: Oliver Stone. SC: John Ridley - based on his novel. DP: Robert Richardson. M: Ennio Morricone. CAST: Sean Penn (Bobby Cooper), Jennifer Lopez (Grace McKenna), Nick Nolte (Jake McKenna). 125’. 1,85. MPAA 35464. Rated R = 17. DIST: Columbia TriStar Egmont Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 3 December 1997. *** Hyperrealistic. High contrast. Offbeat. Hallucinated. Indulging in misleading cuts. Feverish. Uncontrolled. All characters are overblown. There is no normality in it. It impresses at first but gets slowly boring. Oliver Stone has been in fine form, never boring, and Nixon was a masterpiece. This one is an unwitting film noir parody. Might be best on video in 15’ doses.

She’s So Lovely

100421 / 16 / US/FR / 1997 / Cassavetes, Nick / drama

She’s So Lovely / She’s So Lovely. PC: Hachette Premiere. A Miramax release. D: Nick Cassavetes. SC: John Cassavetes. CAST: Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, John Travolta. 97’. Scope. MPAA 35349. Rating R = 17. Finnish subtitles by Movision. DIST: Scanbox Finland. Viewed at VET, Helsinki, 7 October 1997. *** The ancient Greeks thought love is an illness which brings unhappiness and disaster. This film shares the same view. It’s a jazzy story about madness, alcohol and love. It wears a smile on its face, but there is stark staring madness raving underneath. The film is character-driven, and the performances are powerful.